The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-06-19
HIS LAST WHIRLPOOL VOYAGE.
Graha.n's Perilous Performance and
Narrow Escape From Death.


Graha.n's Perilous Performance and
Narrow Escape From Death.
A dispatch from Niagara Falls to the New
York World says: Carlisle D. Graham, the
hardy cooper, made his third voyage
through the Whirlpool Rapids today. The
trip was attended with great peril, and only
the navigator's nerve and presence of mind
saved his life. At 4 o'clock this afternoon
there was tremendous crowd along the
river banks and on the bridges. The Grand
Legion of the Select Knights and the
Ancient Order United Workmen's reunion
here to-day brought score of excursion
trains and thousands Of strangers into the
village, and Graham's voyage was the event
of the day.
Down at the old Maid of the Mist landing
the barrel was launched, and was anxiously
watched by the cooper and his friends.
Nothing more moist than the atmosphere of
dime museums and saloons had touched it
for many months, and the cask leaked badly.
Because of this and for lack of perfect ar
rangements with the proprietors of Whirl-
pool parks and bridges Graham and his
manager, f. R. c. Nolan, decided to aban-
don the plan of riding, MaZeppa fashion, on
the outside OF the barrel The announce
mert was quietly made, but such a howl of
disgust was raised that Graham declared he
would go through anyway, and soon slowed
himself in the bottom of his long cylinder.
There was no hammock to support him, and
only two straps to hang on by, but at $50
he shouted pluclily, Let her CO." and the
cask was towed out into the stream The
man-hole cover was not hinged, and the last
words of Manager Nolan were: "Don't raise
the cover till you are sure your are all
right
Three minutes later the yawl boat cast
CD,
up in the water, started slowly down stream.
At $3.50 it struck the main current, and
three-quarters of minute later danced
under the cantileVer bridge AS the barrel
passed beneath the suspension bridge shout
was raised and dozen enthusiastic ladies
dropped their cOrsage bouquets in the wake
of the craft, which by this time had reached
the great hollow wave where the Whirlpool
Rapids begin. Up ON the long swell it
travelled, and then down with a plunge,
and then on again, spinning like cork, and
| again hidden from view under the green
waves and the cloud of spray. Only once
did the barrel up-end, and then it quickly
righted and sped on.
AT 5:44, just fourteen minutes from the
start, the cask entered the great whirlpool
and the entire circuit of the pool was made
in seven minutes. The watchers at the
Canadian point neglected an opportunity to
| capture the cask, and it began its second
| circuit. For some minutes it fioated slowly
| about, and then sudden current carried it
nearly TO the centre of the pool Constable
Andrew Horne, Manager Nolan and others
who were close to the waters edge, tried to
notify Graham of his danger. A dozen
| shots from revolver were fired, and at
| last the man-hole cover was pushed up and
Graham's head protruded. There was no
possibility of replacing the cover, and should
| he be carried down the lower rapids the
great waves would fill the cask and drown
him. Graham realized his danger, and
could hear the shouts of warming Await
| ing a favorable turn, which brought the
| barrel a little nearer the shore, he climbed
out and dived toward the shore. The barrel
half turned over and shipped considerable
water.
Ed Flanders, Freddy Quinn and another
man had been hired by Manager Nolan to
assist Graham in therwhirlpool but none of
them volunteered now. The cooper was
battling for life fully 100 yards from shore
and the chances were desperate. Nolan
was frantic. "Swim you dog, you'll" he
shouted to Flanders, but the latter refused
to risk his life. Nolan threatened him with
his revolver, but Flanders was too badly
| frightened. Constable Horne muttered
coward" under his breath and quickly
threw off his clothes. Clad in his under
clothes he dived off huge rock, and with
long, powerful strokes swan towards the
now almost exhausted cooper. Graham
was pulled under the surface once, but
bobbed up again a few yards away and
| swan bravely.
| When Horne reached him both men were
in bad shape, but they persevered, and at
last the variable currents which had opposed
their effort turned and swung both the
swimmers in close to the shore. Horne sue
ceeded in dragging Graham to land, and the
latter tainted, The brave constable was
not in much better shape, but oopious
| draughts of brandy revived them. The
| cooper was mass of bruises from his rough
handling in the barrel, and his story of the
trip was a thrilling one. II could hear a
kissing noise when I passed under the
bridges said he, land knew where was
then. That big plunge in front of Man
ning's elevator is terror. 1t made the
barrel spin like a top, and crouched
down in the bottom till my knees
began to leak, and was first knee deep and
afterward nearly chin deep in water When
| was going around the whirlpool the second
time | thought l was in the lower rapids.
| didn't hear the shouts at first, and when
lifted off the cover tell you was scared
| was drifting off toward the rapids again,
and | knew would be drowned in the cask
sure. There was no way for me to get that
cover on again. 1t looked pretty ticklish
there in the middle of the whirlpool, but it
was life or death, so l took chances ON swim
ming"
The barrel drifted for some hours in the
maelstrom and it was recovered this even
ing. Graham says he is through with the
rapids and will do nothing more in the
aquatic line until July Is, when he proposes
| 20 M pxza, tho TJorcacboa Eallc